What do I need to do before using Easy MTD VAT?

Before you can start using Easy MTD VAT to submit VAT returns and view VAT obligations, liabilities and payments, you must perform the following actions:

Business

• It is likely your business has a Government Gateway (HMRC Services) account, so dig out your user ID and password. You'll need them for a couple of the steps below. You'll also need your VAT registration number.
• Download, install and launch Easy MTD VAT.
• Create a business within Easy MTD VAT. Make sure you specify the VAT registration number that is associated with the business you need to submit VAT returns for.
• In Easy MTD VAT, grant authority to Easy MTD VAT to interact with HMRC for the business you just added.
• To submit a VAT return you'll need to sign up for a Fly Software account and you'll need to buy a submission token. You'll also need to ensure your VAT figures are contained in an Excel spreadsheet or CSV file in the valid format.

Agent

• It is likely you have a Government Gateway (HMRC Services) account so dig out your user ID and password. You'll need them for one of the steps below.
• Sign up for an agent services account or sign in to an existing one.
• Connect your agent services account with your client relationships. You do this by clicking the "Allow this account to access existing client relationships" link in your agent services account. Following this, you specify your "old" Government Gateway (HMRC Services) User ID and Password, the agent services account number (ARN) received during sign up to your agent services account, and a few other things.
• Download, install and launch Easy MTD VAT.
• Add an agent to Easy MTD VAT. Make sure you specify the VAT registration number of your agent business that is associated with your agent services account.
• Add a business to Easy MTD VAT. Make sure you specify the VAT registration number associated with a business that you need to submit VAT returns for and the business that is assigned to your agent services account. Select the agent you previously added. Repeat this process for all your clients.
• In Easy MTD VAT, grant authority to Easy MTD VAT to interact with HMRC for one of the businesses you added. When you are asked for Government Gateway login details, specify the user ID and password for your agent services account. When complete, authority is granted to the selected business and all other businesses that have the same agent specified in Easy MTD VAT.
• To submit a VAT return you'll need to sign up for a Fly Software account and you'll need to buy a submission token. You'll also need to ensure the VAT figures are contained in an Excel (xlsx, xls, xlsm) or comma-separated values (csv) file in the valid format.

NOTE: HMRC may change these steps at any time.